When it comes to hiring a car with cruise control there are advocates for both sides, and while some drivers swear by it, others are hesitant to engage it.
Read on to learn some helpful tips and information to ensure a pleasant driving experience if you are renting a vehicle.
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What should I know About Hiring a Car with Cruise Control?
To make things a bit clearer, I will try and explain how this technology works. The constant pressing of the accelerator pedal can be pretty exhausting during a long drive on an open road. It is a feature that helps reduce driver fatigue while driving long distances and mimics the human driving style. Rather than using the accelerator pedal, it uses an actuator to control the throttle and maintain the same speed.
Older cars use a cable attached to the accelerator to maintain a set speed by keeping the gas pedal in a certain position, while modern cars manage speed electronically through a computer program instead of using a cable. A wireless system that is connected to a computer with various sensors and throttle controls the feature instead. Using this newer technology, the speed can be automatically adjusted to maintain a safe distance based on the speed of the vehicle ahead. This greatly reduces drivers’ fatigue and is particularly useful on long open stretches of road as well as in congested, or slow moving traffic.
Cruise Control vs Adaptive Driving
Adaptive cruise control is an advanced version of the existing cruise control system that not only regulates your vehicle’s speed, but also calculates the speed of the vehicle in front of you using radar sensors and automatically adjusts your speed to maintain a safe following distance. The system detects when the vehicle ahead slows down and operates the brakes to slow down your car, and similarly, it alerts the engine to accelerate if the car in front of you changes lanes or speeds up.
There are several reasons that some drivers prefer this, including the sense of being at the correct speed, the ability to focus on other aspects of driving, and the ability to rest your feet so you can travel more comfortably.
If you find it difficult to set your foot on the accelerator for prolonged periods of time or you are constantly changing your speed, then cruise control may be worth looking into when looking to rent a car for your next driving trip. If you are planning on renting an unfamiliar vehicle, Driving a New Car: It’s An Adjustment is a must read post.
Consult the Driving Manual
Has anyone ever told you that if nothing seems to work, you may want to read the instructions? We strongly recommend taking the time to familiarize yourself with your rental car’s driving manual before heading of on your journey as the design and functional requirements of cruise control can differ across various vehicle models and makes.
Depending on the vehicle, some cars have a button on the steering wheel, while others may have a lever behind the steering wheel and different vehicles may require you to engage or disengage cruise control differently.
To avoid any confusion before setting out on your trip, check the driver’s manual of your hire vehicle or ask the car rental agency for information about the cruise control in the model that you will be driving.
Do a Test Drive
If you have not used the cruise control function much before, it may be well worth it just to give it a test to:
- Get acquainted with the system and how it works so that you are comfortable and confident on your journey
- To see whether cruise control really is something you want to utilize while driving
Experiment on quiet stretches of road to familiarize yourself with how acceleration and braking works when cruise control is engaged and how to change the speed zone should you need to. You will feel a lot safer and enjoy a more comfortable drive when using cruise control, and knowing how it works.
Major Advantages of Hiring a Car with Cruise Control
You have just been told of a sales trip that you need to go on, and you are contemplating using a rental vehicle for the duration but you’re not entirely sure that hiring a car with cruise control is your best option. To help you decide, here are a few major advantages to renting a cruise controlled car:
- Getting the most miles per gallon: Using cruise control reduces fuel costs by up to 7%, mainly because you use less acceleration and you are more aware of changes in the road.
- Driving is fun, but it won’t be a pleasant experience to get a speeding ticket: I enjoy driving, but getting a speeding ticket won’t put a smile on my face. If you set your cruise at a lower speed, you will save more money than cars speeding by you.
- Maximum safety: Helps you to remain focused and on the lookout for danger on the road.
Always stay alert when driving, whether you have cruise control engaged, or not, and keep in mind that as a driving feature cruise control is not the best choice for every driver. It is a good rule of thumb to avoid products that you do not like once you have tried them and only drive a vehicle you feel completely at ease with and that you can operate safely with ease. Watch this video to learn how to drive a car with cruise control.
Car Rental Reviews is where you can find a rental company that suits your style and budget, whether you are looking at hiring a car with cruise control or nearly anything else on four wheels.